Substantial Changes are coming to Downtown Springfield Ohio
For the past 35 years, voters and members of the Springfield, Ohio, city council have discussed the possibility of revitalizing downtown Springfield. Now, those discussions are starting to show some fruit. Several projects have already been finished, some are in the works and there is a clear (and publicly well-known) list of the projects that are expected to start soon.In 1979, City Hall was dedicated and in 1993, the $15 million Performing Arts Center at Clark State was constructed.
Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland said that there is more going on in downtown Springfield than at any other time since 1977 when he moved to the city.
Executive director of the Center City Association, Maureen Fagans said that while there has been a “real interest” in the downtown Springfield space, it is “sometimes easy for people to get frustrated or cynical about the process.” Fagans became the executive director of the Center City Association during the worst of the recession in spring of 2009.
But despite the cynicism, progress is being made. On Wednesday, September 21, the Madonna of the Trail statue was moved to the site of the future downtown Springfield park. For 83 years, the statue had stood near the western boundary of the city, built to honor the dedication and steadfastness of pioneers.
Center City was founded in 1998 with the goal of championing the revitalization of Springfield’s downtown. During the first two years, Center City was merely a volunteer group.
Fagans believes the city is making progress. Notable projects downtown have included a new YMCA in 1989 and a new public library built the same year. The Springfield Inn (now Courtyard by Marriott) was built in 1990 and in 2004, the Springfield Regional Cancer Center was constructed.
Fagans said that changes to downtown Springfield, Ohio, are “incremental,” and that sometimes these changes are noticeable, but other times progress can get overlooked. “Sometimes, they’re big and beautiful and hard to miss, but other times, it’s paving a street or planting a tree.”
Springfield Preservation Alliance has gotten involved recently, as historic and other buildings have been scheduled or rumored to be demolished. The Alliance is calling on authorities to be hesitant before destroying old buildings, especially if the building is in relatively good shape. For them, newer is not always better.
Mayer Copeland is looking forward to downtown Springfield, Ohio’s progress. He said, “There’s a sense that there’s some momentum.”